Retribution
DuClaw Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.53
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First brewed in 2011 and released the first weekend of November every year, Retribution is full-bodied and jet black with a small tan head and a complex flavor profile of dark chocolate, coffee, smoky malt, and dark fruit, concealing a massive, warming 11.2% abv. After fermentation, Retribution ages approx. 6 months inside of bourbon barrels made from charred American White Oak and carefully monitored for before being bottled in individual runs from each barrel, making the beer from each barrel a unique drinking experience. The resulting Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, infused with aromas and flavors of charred oak, vanilla and caramelized sugar, is a testament to craft brewing, and a physical manifestation of patience justified.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottled. Pours a dark opaque with head. Coffee mocha etc. Not so much vanilla but a bit. Pretty good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 May 2025
at 01:19
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Refrigerated 2014 brown bomber poured into glass. Black with small beige head. Aroma is chocolate, medium body, medium carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is nice bourbon, some chocolate, and oak.
Tried
on 28 Nov 2017
at 17:40
9.3/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle [from trade with ThrashD] @ home. Opaque pitch black color, medium to full sized mocha to light brown colored head that lasts for a decent while and leaves fair lacing. Aroma is malts, bourbon, dark malts, a slight hint of caramelised sugars. Really nice. Taste malts, bourbon, dark malts, caramel lightly, lightly bourbon sweetish hints, moderately bitter finish. Medium body, silky smooth texture, suitable soft carbonation. Very very nice beer, absolutely lovely.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Sep 2017
at 16:22
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle, Boise imperial stout tasting. Very dark brown, near black, and capped with a thin tan head. Espresso and chocolate aroma with light bourbon barrel. Same into the taste… light bitters and dark chocolate. Heavy bourbon barrel and vanilla presence. Sweet and hefty with enough woody and roasty notes to balance. Nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Apr 2015
at 08:12
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
22oz bottle pours out thick rich black topped with a small tan head. Nose is roast malts brown sugar molasses sweetness. Taste is more of the molasses sweetness vanilla chocolate and a nice bitterness on the end.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Apr 2015
at 20:34
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Location: 22 oz bottle from State Line, 3/23/15, Barrel 1 of 15, Date in: 3/21/12, Date out: 9/21/12
Aroma: It has a strong bourbon and vanilla aroma, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and caramel
Appearance: Pours a nearly pitch black color with thin brown head and very minimal lace
Flavor: The bourbon, wood, and vanilla dominate over the variety of dark malts and late burnt notes
Palate: It is fairly full bodied on the mouth with a soft, almost flat, carbonation, and a burnt/dry finish
Overall Impression: To me, this is a solid example of a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout. The bourbon barrel flavor is in the forefront, the dark malts flavors come through underneath, and the burnt flavors take over in the end palate. Well done.
Aroma: It has a strong bourbon and vanilla aroma, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and caramel
Appearance: Pours a nearly pitch black color with thin brown head and very minimal lace
Flavor: The bourbon, wood, and vanilla dominate over the variety of dark malts and late burnt notes
Palate: It is fairly full bodied on the mouth with a soft, almost flat, carbonation, and a burnt/dry finish
Overall Impression: To me, this is a solid example of a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout. The bourbon barrel flavor is in the forefront, the dark malts flavors come through underneath, and the burnt flavors take over in the end palate. Well done.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Mar 2015
at 18:24
8.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Initially comes off a bit thin, but aroma and taste more than make up for it. Lots of vanilla, molasses, wood accents, slightly smoky. Slippery mouth feel, after burn halfway down the gullet.
Tried
on 12 Feb 2015
at 14:26
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle. Pours a dark brown tan head that diminishes quickly. Aroma is vanilla and caramel. Thin mouth with strong vanilla, roasted malt, very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jan 2015
at 16:44
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Rich deep dark brown coloured body with a thinnish light brown head. Aroma of alcohol, raisins, figs, vanilla, oak, bourbon, earth, roasted malt and more alcohol. Full-bodied; Super strong roasted malt flavours with alcohol, bourbon, oak, vanilla, coffee and earth notes with hints of oatmeal and caramel at the finish. Aftertaste is strong and pungent like you’d expect with a very deep roastiness and some coffee bitterness amongst the sugars and bourbon flavours. Overall, a nice Imperial Stout with some good rich complexity at the finish, but at lot of strong flavours throughout. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Tyson’s Corner (Falls Church), Virginia on 14-November-2013 for US$13,99 sampled at home in Washington on 24-December-2014, Christmas Eve 2014. Nice with a year on it, perhaps would have been better over more aging, but wasn’t super harsh or bitter. Date in Barrel: 19-March-2013 // Date out of Barrel: 25-September-2013 // Purchased: 14-November-2013 // Sampled: 24-December-2014.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Dec 2014
at 00:08
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bomber shared by Kinz at the 21st Richmond Gathering, 11/1/14. Pours a dark brown with a thin head. Aroma of chocolate, nuts, roast, honey, mild booze. The taste is roast, chocolate, citrus, stone fruits. Medium bodied, mildly hot.
Tried
on 25 Nov 2014
at 19:39